Bad football. Boardroom unrest. Financial turmoil. Long-suffering fans. Owls: Sheffield Wednesday Through the Modern Era is the story of a football club struggling to find its way in an ever-changing game. Almost two decades on from dropping out of the Premier League, and over 25 years after the horrors of the Hillsborough disaster, author Tom Whitworth combines revealing interviews from key players, managers and board members with challenging new insight and perspective, to piece together a compelling account of Wednesday's recent, often turbulent, history. From the almost-glory days of the early 1990s and the team of Chris Waddle, John Sheridan and David Hirst; to Paolo Di Canio's pushing over of a referee, terrible transfer dealings, relegations and a life in the lower league wilderness. That is followed by League One play-off success, moves by the club to sue its own fans, winding-up orders and High Court appearances; before club-saving takeovers followed by a well-funded, entertaining and long-awaited revival which at last has given the club's fans something to smile about.

The City of Sheffield is rightly lauded as being the birthplace of association football, but in the early nineteenth century it was also the centre of cricket activities in the North of England, arguably contributing more to the advance of game, other than the Marylebone Cricket Club, than any other area. In 1820, six local Sheffield businessmen formed Wednesday Cricket Club and within a few years they rose to become the prominent team in the town. Their influence on the game of cricket was immeasurable and over the years they would boast many notable players, including Sheffield legend Tom Marsden. For the first time, those early deeds of the cricket club are covered in depth - including a look at the founding fathers - while the emergence of a football section, in 1867, opened a new chapter in the history of Wednesday, one which continues to be written today as Sheffield Wednesday FC approach their 150th birthday with the club's bicentenary just five years away. The football side has without doubt taken the club's unique name all over the world and The Origins of Sheffield Wednesday focuses, in great detail, on the players and officials plus the on and off the field events that helped to shape the modern-day multi-million pound football club.

Flying Over An Olive Grove is the first great working-class football story. Born at a unique moment in the history of the beautiful game, Fred Spiksley was amongst a new wave of teenagers who from 1885 onwards could aspire to be a professional footballer and dodge the inevitability of industrial labour. He became the first player to score a hat-trick against Scotland and in 1896 he guided Sheffield Wednesday to FA Cup glory with 4 goals and 8 assists during the cup run. His first goal in the final is considered by some to be the fastest ever goal in FA Cup final history. At his peak he was the fastest winger in England and possessed total ball control. He was a player with such ability that he was able to take his club and country to the pinnacle of football during an era where his slender frame did not suit the rough treatment that was often meted out to him. With Fred Spiksley on the field no match was ever lost. Even with two broken ribs, he had the pluck and tenacity to remain on the field and score the winning goal in an epic FA Cup tie at Olive Grove, the ground where he made his name; 'the Olive Grove Flyer'. He scored over 300 career goals and won every major honour in the game, and holds the record for the highest goals-to-game ratio of any winger in the history of English football. His fame extended around the World as he became the first professional footballer to coach across three continents. In Europe he managed the Swedish national team and guided 1FC Nuremberg to the German Championship in 1927.

The story of the creation of Britain's national game has often been told. According to the accepted wisdom, the refined football games created by English public schools in the 1860s subsequently became the sports of the masses. Football, The First Hundred Years, provides a revisionist history of the game, challenging previously widely-accepted beliefs. Harvey argues that established football history does not correspond with the facts. Football, as played by the 'masses' prior to the adoption of the public school codes is almost always portrayed as wild and barbaric. This view may require considerable modification in the light of Harvey's research. Football's First One Hundred Years provides a very detailed picture of the football played outside the confines of the public schools, revealing a culture that was every bit as sophisticated and influential as that found within their prestigious walls. Football, The First Hundred Years sets forth a completely revisionist thesis, offering a different perspective on almost every aspect of the established history of the formative years of the game. The book will be of great interest to sports historians and football enthusiasts alike.

This fascinating book explores the status of women in medieval England, both before and after the Norman Conquest. The author starts by contrasting the differences in status between Anglo/Danish or Saxon women with those who fell under the burden of the feudal system imposed by the Normans. She covers such subjects as marriage and childbirth, the rights and responsibilities of wives, separation and divorce, safety and security and the challenges of widowhood. She also examines such issues as virginity and chastity and the pressures placed on women by religious groups.At a time when women's rights were often disregarded, the author charts their struggles against the expectations of their menfolk and highlights the difficulties of everyday life within the context of legal and religious restrictions.The author describes the lives of women at all levels of society, both royal and noble as well as ordinary people, to paint a fascinating picture of their daily lives against the changing background of the times they lived in.

The grand hotel is an icon of the British seaside. Occupying the most favoured spots on the prom, elaborate Victorian and later buildings maintain an air of refinement that harks back to an earlier age. This book tells their story.

Have you ever wondered why some people can produce a well-structured, relevant essay written in a style that seems to glide across the page with the minimum of fuss? Do you think some people simply have these skills, and others don't, and that there is nothing we can do about it? This book just might change your mind. Addressing each landmark stage of the essay writing process, How to Write Better Essays teaches you how to... • analyse the question and break down difficult terms and concepts • brainstorm effectively and generate your own ideas • evaluate and criticise arguments • express your thoughts coherently and develop your own style of writing • plan and structure your essay from introduction to conclusion ... and along the way, practical techniques show how to analyse, criticise, discuss and evaluate material, improve your style, revise your final draft and avoid plagiarism. The third edition of this bestselling book includes new chapters on critical thinking, tackling reflective writing assignments, and how to create and analyse concepts. It also features a new companion website providing annotated essays to illustrate the successful outcome of the methods you learn in the book, exercises to develop critical thinking skills, and additional examples of how to analyse concepts. For every student who needs to write essays, from whatever discipline, this book is a constant source of the help and inspiration you need to tackle your essays with confidence.

Through the stories of twenty-six inspiring figures - from 'Capability' Brown, Humphry Repton and Vita Sackville-West to lesser known figures, and present-day gardeners such as Beth Chatto and John Brookes - this book brings the colourful history of British gardening to life.

A comprehensive record of British and Irish Football during two World Wars, giving the date and result of every match played in each of the English, Scottish and Irish Leagues. All the county and regional cup competitions are also covered. Friendly matches, which for some clubs were a main part of their fixture list, are also given. The many Representative, international and military fixtures are also listed.

With unrivaled stats and information, the football bible never fails to deliver. The 1056 pages are packed with all the facts you want to know. This 40th edition brings you every Champions League and UEFA Cup line-up, as well as qualifying results for the 2010 World Cup and full analysis of British and Irish clubs in Europe from 1955-2009. Also including the comprehensive season-by-season players' directory with an invaluable A–Z of all entries and the most informed stats for English and Scottish league matches and English, Scottish and international fixtures for the 2009–10 season, this is the first reference book you should turn to.
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